Lighting up the night.

My life for the last ten years has been punctuated by a series of home improvement projects, and while the results are ultimately satisfying, the process can be filled with surprises (not the good kind), and costly (concealed conditions anyone?).

So it is with excitement that I report on one of the most recent enhancements to our century old farmhouse outside of Eugene – exterior accent lighting! My designing wife called from the warehouse store the other day excited about a great value on a brushed nickel yard light set - six etched-glass accent lights and two halogen spots of decent quality for a great price. An hour later I was unloading three cartons from the back of our Subaru and, with the help of our four year old daughter, unwrapping and assembling the contents.

It was easy to push the tapered bases into the soil of our garden beds, staggering the layout for a casual effect. And it was fun deciding which plants to target with the spotlights. All that was left to do was plug in the transformers, run the wiring, and wait for darkness to fall.

And it was worth the wait! The beds surrounding our house are now transformed into a magical garden at dusk each night, with twenty four low voltage lights drawing a modest amount of current. The timer cuts the power after an adjustable interval, so in the summer they’ll only burn about four hours per evening. I can’t recall another project that has delivered so much reward for such a reasonable cost and effort. The indirect glow perfectly lights our front porch for the long warm evenings of summer, we can walk through the yard without stumbling over dog toys (or the dogs themselves), and the nighttime curb appeal is simply outstanding!

Happy home improvements,
Bobby
541 225-8081
bobby@alternativerealtor.com